New Bedford begins new trash pickup

Tuesday

Jun 24, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 24, 2014 at 5:46 AM

In the far North End, which had its garbage picked up on Monday, crews encountered a few minor glitches on the side streets off Acushnet Avenue. One of them was that the bins were not placed far enough apart.

By JONATHAN CARVALHO

NEW BEDFORD — The city's new trash and recycling pickup program hit a few speed bumps on its maiden route.

In the far North End, which had its garbage picked up on Monday, crews encountered a few minor glitches on the side streets off Acushnet Avenue. One of them was that the bins were not placed far enough apart.

"The number one thing I'd ask residents for is the space," said Kenneth Blanchard, commissioner of the city's Department of Facilities and Fleet Management. The bins should be about two feet apart from each other, he said.

New Bedford resident Robert Lemieux talked with a crew from ABC Disposal outside his house Monday to ensure he had properly followed directions.

"I checked the information, spoke to the driver to make sure, and they were spaced pretty good," he said, adding that he thinks the new system is "great" and that it was going well Monday. "I'd like to see things go smoothly."

Another resident, Zelia DaCosta, said while the new bins worked for her she doesn't foresee an easy transition.

"I don't think they're big enough," she said, especially for tenements, questioning what people would do with excess garbage. "There's going to be a lot of garbage in the city."

DaCosta also said she didn't agree with the policy of having to purchase a second garbage bin in addition to the one garbage and one recycling bins already provided. She said that, with what she pays in taxes, the city should provide the extra bins.

Patrick Anderson said he was happy with the new system, if not its minor hiccups.

"We love it because we're going to recycle more," he said. However, on Monday he didn't have enough room for garbage.

"We had a 5-year-old's party, so it's not the norm," he said, adding that he was asking neighbors if they had extra room in their bins for his extra two bags; he had no such luck.

Marissa Perez-Dormitzer, recycling coordinator for the Greater New Bedford Refuse Management District, said as residents get used to the system they'll find they can recycle more materials and that they will have plenty of room in their garbage bins.

The point of the new system, she said, is to extend the longevity of the Crapo Hill landfill by increasing recycling. Crapo Hill is expected to last another 17 years, Perez-Dormitzer said, but hopefully that could be lengthened with recycling efforts and the city's next landfill could last longer once people are used to the new recycling program.

New Bedford resident Rachel Mello, whose bins went out for the first time Monday, summed up the general reception to the new system.